Jimmy Savile Scandal: Former BBC Producer Calls Police 'Overzealous'

Wilfred De'ath, who produced a radio show hosted by Savile, tells BBC Radio people were being arrested for "spurious reasons."

LONDON – Former BBC producer Wilfred De'ath, who was arrested but not charged amid the investigations into the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal, has accused the police of being "overzealous."

De'ath told BBC Radio 4's agenda-setting morning news show Today that while he realized police were only doing their jobs, they had also "gone too far the other way" after the mistakes in earlier Savile inquiries.

De'ath, who was a producer of a radio show fronted by Savile, said police had been "arresting people on rather spurious allegations" having failed "to get" Savile when they could have done.

The former BBC producer, now in his 70s, was arrested last November, one of 11 people so far arrested under Operation Yewtree, which was prompted by allegations against Savile.

After a woman withdrew allegations against him, the Crown Prosecution Service said Monday there was not enough evidence to charge De'ath.

For his part, according to a report in The Guardian, De'ath told reporters at the time of his arrest that it was a case of mistaken identity and denied any wrongdoing.